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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · club · squash · chip · bank · stick

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. squash — to crush
  7. club — for golf
  8. squash — the sport
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bank — of a river
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. chip — to eat
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com